Initiation (Vampire Beach Series #2) by Alex Duval
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(Mass Market Paperback)
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
- Pub. Date: June 2006
- ISBN-13: 9781416911678
- Sales Rank: 60,180
- Age Range: Young Adult
- 192pp
- Series: Vampire Beach, #2
Synopsis
THE A-LIST BITES.
Jason Freeman is getting the hang of DeVere Heights. Then life from his flyover past pays an unexpected visit in the form of his old friend Tyler. Jason's surprised -- but psyched to see a familiar face.
Having his friend around turns our to be a downer -- especially when Jason realizes that Tyler is running from some kind of crisis. But Tyler isn't in on DeVere Heights's little secret. Now instead of escaping his problem, he's about to put himself in mortal danger. Literally.
Children's Literature
In this book, a part of the "Vampire Beach" series, Jason Freeman is coming to grips with the fact that the ultra-popular residents of DeVere Heights are vampires. Most of the story, though, is devoted to Jason worrying about two things: his seemingly unattainable crush, Sienna; and his old friend Tyler who just showed up in Malibu. Tyler is hiding something from Jason, and over Thanksgiving break, Jason attempts to find out what that is. But when Tyler steals a precious artifact from the house of the newest member of the DeVere Heights Vampire Council, it is up to Jason (with help from a couple of vampires) to get Tyler out of Malibu alive. While fans of vampire stories might enjoy the OC-like twist on the vampire world, there is not a lot of lore to give a good idea of just what makes a vampire a vampire, or why they are so different from the archetype of vampires in general. Jason and his friends, however, do make for a pleasurable afternoon of reading, and with the familiar-yet-foreign world of elite Malibu as a back-drop, readers can vicariously experience life on the A-List.
Customer Reviews
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Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.comby TeensReadToo
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November 02, 2008:
In the second installment of the VAMPIRE BEACH series, Jason Freeman is still coming to grips with the fact that the popular kids at his new Malibu high school are all vampires. And why shouldn't the vamps be popular? They're beautiful and rich, and they throw the best parties. But Jason knows those parties are simply an excuse to drink blood from unwitting human guests. It's true that the humans aren't hurt, the vampires need blood to survive, and many of those vampires are Jason's friends, but still... Let's just say that Jason is feeling conflicted. Then when his best friend from the old neighborhood turns up unexpectedly and under mysterious circumstances, Jason's problems multiply.
As with the first VAMPIRE BEACH book, I love the premise. When I was in high school, I often wondered what it was that made the popular crowd so special. I could wear the same clothes they wore and sport the same hairstyle, but still something was missing. Maybe they were all secretly blood-sucking monsters. That would explain a lot.
But, again, just like the first book in this series, the execution of the great premise left me cold. For one thing, this book is too short. I wanted it to delve more deeply into the characters and their lives. So much could have been going on in this vampire-run town, and I was constantly disappointed that the author wasn't exploring those things. I was also bothered by the fact that there were some pretty improbable actions being taken by people in this story. For example, if you're hiding in a roomful of vampires and your cell phone goes off, wouldn't it be odd if the vamps still didn't notice you were there? The reactions and explanations sometimes felt contrived and highly unlikely, which detracted from the story.
In the plus column, this book seemed to have toned down the first book's uncomfortable attempts to use current teenage language. Or if it didn't tone them down, then I must have gotten used to them. Either way, it didn't grate on me the way it had in VAMPIRE BEACH: BLOODLUST. Also, this story was interesting and it had a few twists and turns that kept me turning the pages eagerly.
Overall, this is an intriguing book. I like the premise, the characters, and the story itself. Be warned, though, that this one is for older readers. Like BLOODLUST, it contains references to alcohol and drug use, as well as some sexual activity and a little swearing. As for this book's problems, my chief complaint is that it left me wanting much more.
A reviewerby Anonymous
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October 27, 2007: well, i read the first two books in a few days and omg i loveee them! they have the teen romance part to them but then again they have a mystery part! i reallyyyy recomend them!
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